A new report by the Energy Technologies Institute has explored how the UK can decarbonise the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) sector in the context of the wider energy system. Published on 29 August, it stated that zero carbon emission vehicles “are likely to be required from 2030 to meet current targets, but plug-in hybrid vehicles could act as a bridging vehicle from 2025 to 2040” to support the transition towards net zero. However, fleet operator purchasing behaviour will also need to adapt to achieve decarbonisation across the UK energy system, as well as driving the investment in new technologies. The report also highlighted that the use of hydrogen as an energy vector, either in zero emission platform solutions, or in plug-in hybrids, will require the supply of large volumes of cheap, clean hydrogen, which underpins the need for Carbon Capture Use and Storage (CCUS) technologies.
